FACT CHECK: Does This Image Show Gas Prices From Jan. 6, 2021?

An image shared on Facebook claims to show gas prices under $2 from Jan. 6, 2021.

Verdict: False

While the image is genuine, it is from January 2015, not 2021.

Fact Check: 

The national average of gas prices is currently $4.94 per gallon in the U.S. as of publishing time, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA). The national average surpassed $5 per gallon for the first time June 11, with approximately a third of all stations in the country charging over that amount, CNN reported.

The Facebook post, shared more than 6,600 times, shows a gas station sign listing gas for $1.99 a gallon with the words “Never Forget January 6.” The post’s caption reads, “Oh yeah, January 6th, 2021…when Americans could still afford to get to work.”

While the image is genuine, the photo predates the current surge in gas prices. A reverse image search found that the image first appeared on the image hosting site Flickr in January 2015. “Low Cheap Gas Price Citgo Station, $1.99 1/2015 by Mike Mozart of TheToyChannel and JeepersMedia on YouTube” the image’s description reads. (RELATED: Does This Image Show Cheap Gas Prices Were On Jan. 6, 2021?)

National gas prices in January 2015 were $2.11 per gallon, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA). The national gas prices in January 2021 were $2.33 per gallon, according to the EIA. Some states registered gas prices near $2 per gallon, while some individual stations registered lower, according to Automotive-Fleet.

Gas prices have risen for a variety of factors, including sanctions on Russian energy related to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, rising demand, and the U.S.’s limited ability to turn oil into gas, according to The Associated Press.

This is not the first time gas-related misinformation has circulated on social media. Check Your Fact recently debunked another image that also claimed to show gas prices from Jan. 6, 2021.

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